The vote on the call for ceasefire in Gaza

🤔 so people are marching on the streets of London demanding a ceasefire, but Hamas don’t want one?

Neither does Netanyahu if the reports about both groups are correct.

I really don’t know what the people protesting in London don’t understand about us not being able to influence whether or not there will be a ceasefire.

maddyone

I really don’t know what the people protesting in London don’t understand about us not being able to influence whether or not there will be a ceasefire.

They want to influence MP’s to vote for a ceasefire then the next step will be trying to get MP’s to vote for refusal of selling arms to Israel.
There will be more intimidation of MP’s and blackmail too, do this that or the other or we won’t vote Labour.
Hope it will be strongly resisted, but who knows?

The right for people in this country to hold peaceful demonstrations is an important part of our democracy. The huge majority of people on these demos have been peaceful and are representative of our whole population. To describe them as islamists or supporters of Hamas is total rubbish. It's's important that our right to protest is protected. Try protesting in Russia and any other undemocratic country. Police have to deal with protests in a practical way. Radio 4 news had a good discussion about this at 08.10 ish, worth a listen.

Vintagewhine

The right for people in this country to hold peaceful demonstrations is an important part of our democracy. The huge majority of people on these demos have been peaceful and are representative of our whole population. To describe them as islamists or supporters of Hamas is total rubbish. It's's important that our right to protest is protected. Try protesting in Russia and any other undemocratic country. Police have to deal with protests in a practical way. Radio 4 news had a good discussion about this at 08.10 ish, worth a listen.

Totally. We should be grateful we have the freedom to protest, whether we as individuals attend or not. As Vintagewhine
stated, try doing it in Russia. Or China. You'd never be seen again.

Peaceful protest is our right.
Inflammatory phrases on placards and the seat of our democracy and antisemitic chants are not peaceful. They are designed to be inflammatory.

Currently, prominent violators of these freedom include Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Belarus, and Russian-occupied Crimea and the Russian-separatist occupied territories of eastern Ukraine.

I suppose we could join this rabble and stop protests?

maddyone Thu 29-Feb-24 09:40:26
Peaceful protest is our right.
Inflammatory phrases on placards and the seat of our democracy and antisemitic chants are not peaceful. They are designed to be inflammatory.

Agree

maddyone

Peaceful protest is our right.
Inflammatory phrases on placards and the seat of our democracy and antisemitic chants are not peaceful. They are designed to be inflammatory.

Of course they are wrong, I don't think anyone would disagree with you, as is inflammatory language used by politicians. It's a sad fact that there will always be people who break the law but the vast majority of people are protesting peacefully, as is their right and that right needs to be acknowledged and protected as it is the only way that ordinary citizens can tell govt that they disagree with something apart from at the ballot box.

Funny though how time and events change what is considered acceptable. Emily Wilding Davison wrote on a paper wrapped around a stone she was throwing "Rebellion against Tyrants is obedience to God". Now that wouldn't go down well today!!!

Report that Israel has accepted a 6 week ceasefire - Hamas has yet to respond, although I did read that they had contact with Egypt and Qatar before the official ceasefire talks began in Paris, and suspect that the bones of the agreement were laid out then, so it seems still on course for Biden’s optimism that it would be agreed next week.

Hopefully there will be a ceasefire, I think because the IDF 's version of the deaths and injuries caused by the aid delivery has been discredited to a large degree, it may have put the Israeli govt on the back foot. The world needs to have correspondents in Gaza to verify what is going on as I'm afraid I cannot trust Hamas or the Israeli govt to tell the truth . The aid situation has to be resolved as it's inhumane to have people starving to death when food could be available.

More civilian casualties in Gaza that in Ukraine!

Surely Netanyahu is perfectly within his rights to insist on the release of all the Israeli hostages in exchange for a pause in fighting?
At the moment there is only talk of the old, sick and injured to be released. How agonising for the families of the others.

I also don’t understand why any deal always seems to be weighed in favour of Hamas with more Palestinian prisoners released then the hostages.

The hostages are completely innocent, while the Palestinian prisoners are criminals, some of whom are Hamas fighters.

Vintagewhine

Hopefully there will be a ceasefire, I think because the IDF 's version of the deaths and injuries caused by the aid delivery has been discredited to a large degree, it may have put the Israeli govt on the back foot. The world needs to have correspondents in Gaza to verify what is going on as I'm afraid I cannot trust Hamas or the Israeli govt to tell the truth . The aid situation has to be resolved as it's inhumane to have people starving to death when food could be available.

Journalists are not allowed into Gaza. Some organisations' representatives are apparently allowed to embed with the IDF but anything they want to publish has to be pre-reviewed.

If there are no independent voices, then we are left with Hamas' version of events or the IDF's.

Israel says this is for the protection of the journalists as their safety cannot be guaranteed. I'd imagine any war-correspondent or journalist would be very much aware of that inevitable fact...

It is said that the first casualty of war is the truth. In this case, I trust neither Hamas nor the Israeli government.

Journalists / war correspondents should be allowed into Gaza. All we have now is unverified reports from both sides which gives rise to speculation and just serves to fan the flames of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred and abuse. And not just here in the UK.

What we do have are reports and videos from doctors (many British) and aid workers serving in Gaza. I think that we are pretty clear that the situation is pretty dire.

Today I watched a video of a young child who had walked 12 Kms -barefoot- in order to get flour for his family. He was in tears because he was lost and unable to find flour.

It is obvious from just looking at the people that they have very limited access to water etc as their clothes are so dirty. We are also beginning to see sure signs of starvation in children.

Vintagewhine

The right for people in this country to hold peaceful demonstrations is an important part of our democracy. The huge majority of people on these demos have been peaceful and are representative of our whole population. To describe them as islamists or supporters of Hamas is total rubbish. It's's important that our right to protest is protected. Try protesting in Russia and any other undemocratic country. Police have to deal with protests in a practical way. Radio 4 news had a good discussion about this at 08.10 ish, worth a listen.

I agree. We must never our right to protest. We must also be mindful of others and not be intimating to others with opposing views.

I still think it’s possible to have a ceasefire 🙏🙏

“…Lose our right…”

Whitewavemark2

^What we do have are reports and videos from doctors (many British) and aid workers serving in Gaza. I think that we are pretty clear that the situation is pretty dire.

Today I watched a video of a young child who had walked 12 Kms -barefoot- in order to get flour for his family. He was in tears because he was lost and unable to find flour.

It is obvious from just looking at the people that they have very limited access to water etc as their clothes are so dirty. We are also beginning to see sure signs of starvation in children.^

It’s utterly tragic to hear and see these stories and whilst this continues no more hostages will be released. Awful and sad.

Reports from doctors and aid workers doesn’t mean truth,
Whitewave you spoke of a British surgeon who had to carry out surgery without anaesthetic on a small girl , her face half blown off and double amputations, i didn’t and still don’t believe it,

A huge protest March took place in Israel against the war in Gaza.

One demonstrator said “ everything the Nazis did to us before the concentration camps, we are doing to the Palestinians. Netanyahu and his government are fascists”

Did you read this as you read Starmer was funded by Israel, granted you said quite some time later it wasn’t true

Amnesty International are photographing and filming in Rafah and recording testimonies about the bombing and the targeting of civilians. There are personal stories here, but they are heartbreaking and include details from survivors of the family they have lost. If you are feeling at all down please don't read them, even for the positive minded they are upsetting. But I feel we should be aware of the terror that is happening
www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/israelopt-fresh-evidence-probable-war-crimes-israeli-attacks-rafah

Anniebach

Did you read this as you read Starmer was funded by Israel, granted you said quite some time later it wasn’t true

No I watched the video -

annie it is clear that you are having difficulties reconciling what is happening on the ground in Gaza both with your support of Israel, and I assume your Christian faith.

However, denying what you are seeing/reading by calling me a liar cuts no ice with me I’m afraid. I never knowingly post untruths and if I am subsequently found incorrect I say so. I am only interested in peace and dignity for all people whoever and wherever they are. So I have no difficulty in recognising the evil carried out both by Hamas and the IDF.